Man that is just heartbreaking about the fire restrictions in your area. It is about the only skill I have going for me <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> Anyhow, one of my favorite things is to make little stick fires here and there that act as hand warmer fires. We have a little fun doing them, they aren't environmentally damaging and are nearly smokeless if you choose your tinder and kindling right. Just make sure it is fully extinguished before leaving. The little prairie that my wife and I frequent is not supposed to have man-made fires. However, they burn it out every decade in order to keep the hardwood at bay. The natural state of the area is prairie that was maintained by fires. Some of the species of trees in the parks require fire in order to treat the seeds and cause them to open up.









Disclaimer - sorry guys, once my SOD arrives (it will be a while since I ordered it 2 days before the offerings closed down), I will be posting more pics of it in action. For now you have the benefit of a RC-6 and a custom necker by local maker Jimi Wade. The wade necker sits in my Fire/Shelter/Water PSK and I use it (edge on) directly as a striker. I don't know why everyone is so afraid of using the edge for firestell striking. The amount of dulling is minimal and easy to touch up!